Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s cancer center is moving. Here’s why.

In an effort to consolidate and expand oncology services, the Keyserling Cancer Center will be relocated to a new, expanded location on Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s main campus, the hospital announced Thursday.

Beaufort Memorial was considering an expansion and renovation of the cancer center’s existing location, at 1680 Ribaut Road, but construction costs and other limiting factors did not support it, according to a news release.

“When the cancer center was opened in 2006, it was the realization of a vision to provide services in one location for coordinated care and patient convenience,” Russell Baxley, Beaufort Memorial Hospital president and CEO, said in the release. “Over the years we’ve added services and staff on the main campus because the center could not accommodate them. This is a great opportunity to bring the vision back into focus by consolidating all of our providers and services in one location.”

The new center, which is affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina for clinical trials, will be located on the first floor of the Beaufort Medical Plaza, at 989 Ribaut Road.

Construction is expected to begin late 2018 and will take about a year to complete.

“The ability to have the full complement of oncology, breast, imaging, surgical, and lab services available under one roof is greater than we ever imagined when we developed the center in 2006,” said Dr. Majd Chahin, medical director for Beaufort Memorial Oncology Services. “This also brings us closer to our patients in the hospital and the radiology and pathology experts we consult with daily.”

The hospital will maintain ownership of the current cancer center building and will use it for other services when construction is complete, the press release said.

For news and information about Beaufort Memorial visit www.bmhsc.org.

This story was originally published October 12, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s cancer center is moving. Here’s why.."